Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-05-03
Sacramento County.
rs. F. Call, May %.

There are indications that Sacramento
county will feel the prevailing boom before
long in marked degree. Its progress has
been fitful. Nearly half a century ago,
when Suffer built his fort, it was wilder
ness tenanted only by Indians. The first
gold discovery was made in 1S4S. The first
house in Sacramento was built in 1919 ;
twelve months later it had population of
$1,000, and the region now embraced within
Sacramento county probably contained
$4,000 people. twenty-five years later the
population of the county was given at
70, $50 and at the present time, fifteen years
still later, it is reckoned at $500. The
placers on the American river attracted a
motley gathering, which the more reliable
rewards of agriculture and horticulture
failed to retain.
1t is only of late years that the people of
the county have realized their mission in
this world. Though the yield of wheat
and corn is light, al 900 of the Cos, 40
acres now on the assessment roll are planted
in grain, and only 10000 in fruit and 6, 500
in grapes. Yet it is evident that fruit
and grapes are going to be the great re-
bles, hops and alfalfa will always pay to
grow. Early vegetables from Sacramento
will eventually supply the Eastern
markets. A special correspondent of the
Call mentions the case of a man who is
realizing $3.50 an acre by growing aspara-
gus. A yield of ton of hops to the acre
say four times the usual Eastern yields
not unusual, and as the quality is good,
the cultivation is not likely to be aban-
doned. Nor is it probable that people will
cease growing alfalfa so long as eight tons
can be grown to the acre, worth $40 ton
But these, as Mulberry Sellers says, are
only for pocket money. Sacramento's mill
ions will be derived from fruit and wine
culture. 1t is in these that the source of
her future riches lies.
The traveller by rail who leaves Sacra-
mento for San Francisco is not likely TO
forget the thirty or forty-mile stretch of
orchard and vineyard through which the
train passes on its way west. The soil
needs no irrigation; nature supplies it
both with moisture and sun. 1t takes a
fleet OF vessels to move the fruit when it
ripens; and the contract made last year by
the Natoma company to supply large
number of tons of table grapes to the East
at 500 ton shows that tine grower is at no
loss for market. 1t is gratifying to learn
that the landowners of the county are
realizing their duty in this matter. The
demand for nursery stock has never been
so active as it is at present, and it is clear
that the acreage in fruit is going to increase
rapidly. Soil that will produce an average
of four tons of grapes to the acre is too
valuable to be used for growing grain.
Land IN Sacramento county varies from
$40 an acre to $3.50. Land planted in fruit.
with bearing trees, is OF course worth
more. The SO land is probably worth
less, but for $50 an acre new settlers
can probably get land twenty acres of
which will, by and by. support a family.
This is better than can be done in any
Eastern State. One puzzle which has
vexed the hest minds in the country is,
what is to be done with the Haggin ranch
of 1900 acres? OF course no man can
farm such an extent of country as this.
He is sure to lose money in trying to do
so. Mr.. Haggin has lately been endeavor-
ing TO lease out farms of $50 acres each to
wheat-growers, but the success of the ex-
pertinent has not been conspicuous. The
fact is the tenant system is exotic in this
country, and does not thrive. People do
not take kindly to it. Americans want TO
own their homes. They have a horror of
being landless. 1t will probably some day
occur to Mr.. Haggin that his dream of a
vast estate modelled on the noblemen's es-
tates in England, and occupied by tenant
farmers, can never be realized. When this
conviction takes possession of his mind.
ha will conclude TO sell instead of leasing.
He is just the man to devise comDrehen-
sive system OF Improvements which would
make his property perhaps more desirable
as place of settlement tor small farmers
than any other i'll the State. And after all,
though it is grand to own broad acres, and
TO sit on ones piazza and say that every
acre in sight is ones own, two or three
millions in hard cash TO ones credit in
bank are not altogether a disagreeable OBJ
ject of contemplation.